


shooting star

by kintsukimi



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Birthday Party, Canon Compliant, EXCEPT when shes flustered, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, GOD ITS SO FLUFFY, Handholding, Neopronouns, Neurodiversity, Original Song, Singing, Song Lyrics, Stargazing, Swearing, Trans Female Character, Tsunderes, aka every popipa member, also she wears kandi bc of course, arisa pov until the +1, but never out loud to remain polite, i hc that arisa constantly swears in her head, kasumi has adhd and autism its practically canon, tae teasing arisa about her crush on kasumi lol, the inherent gayness of trading kandi, theres a tiny bit of angst but it all works out, tws and pronouns in notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:41:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29017572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kintsukimi/pseuds/kintsukimi
Summary: "You are a shooting starI feel your beat in my heartI thought I'd have to look so farBut there's no needYou're all I needAnd here you are"5 times kasumi made arisa flustered + 1 time she turned the tables on her
Relationships: Ichigaya Arisa/Toyama Kasumi
Kudos: 8





	shooting star

**Author's Note:**

> i just HAD to write this. i had to. there have been too many times in this damn game where i was like "ARISA WTF U ARE GAY." 
> 
> kasuari is hands down my FAVORITE bandori ship. not only do i kin both of them, but im an absolute sucker for star/space motifs.
> 
> everyone in popipa is transfem!! here are the pronouns i use for them:  
> arisa - she/her, they/them  
> kasumi - she/her, it/its, star/stars, doki/dokis, kira/kiras  
> tae - she/her, they/them, bun/buns  
> saaya - she/her  
> rimi - she/her, it/its, cho/co
> 
> tw: choking (on food), brief vomiting mention

1.

As soon as Arisa saw Kasumi sprinting over to her with that stupid grin on her face, Arisa’s heart started pounding. _Damn it, it's_ _too early for this,_ she groaned inwardly. _I_ just _got here. I really don't want_ this _to be how my school day starts._

The momentum of Kasumi’s running nearly caused it to crash into its friend. “Arisa! Arisa!” it cried cheerfully--and frankly, far too loudly this early in the morning. “Gueeeess what today is!”

Arisa had _no_ time for guessing games right now. She had an early-scheduled student council meeting to get to. She walked past the loud girl in an attempt to ignore star.

Kasumi was used to this harsh treatment, but that didn't mean kira wouldn't persist. “C’mon, Arisa, guess! Guess!” Kira bounced along behind them like an excited puppy at their heels. Or, rather, an excited kitten…? Whatever. Arisa was trying to not pay attention to kira.

Arisa tugged on her backpack strap and huffed in frustration. “The day you finally decide to leave me alone?”

Kasumi bubbled with laughter. “Nope, nope! Quite the opposite, really!”

 _Oh god._ Arisa actually let out a groan this time. She started to pick up her pace, but Kasumi jumped in front of her before she could get away.

Stars smile stretched so wide it looked like stars face would burst. In a voice loud enough to alert the whole school, star exclaimed, “It's our anniversary!”

“Wh-What?!” Arisa cried, her face immediately reddening. She felt like she was having a heart attack. What the _hell_ was this girl talking about?

Kasumi didn't seem to realize the shock doki had put dokis friend into. Kira bounced on dokis heels, nodding. “Yep, yep! The one-year anniversary of our friendship!”

“Oh.” Arisa let her hands that she hadn't even realized she'd raised fall back to her sides. _That's what she meant. Of course. What else could she have meant?_ Arisa’s blush deepened at the implications of her own thoughts.

They pouted, trying not to think about it. “So that's what you just _had_ to come barreling into me for? You know I have a student council meeting right now.”

Kasumi let out a full-body sigh. “I knooow, but this is more important!” Star whipped stars backpack around so star could dig through it. “Besides, I didn't come over just to remind you! I came so I could… give you, uh… Hold on…” Star seemed to be struggling to find whatever star was looking for. Star knelt down and placed stars backpack on the ground.

Arisa crossed their arms and threw back their head. They _really_ didn't have the time for this right now.

“Aha! Here it is!” Kasumi pulled out the item and shot back up to dokis feet. Kira held it out for dokis friend to see. “Ta-da!”

In her hand was a bracelet just like the ones she wore all the time, which she had said were called “kandi”. This one, however, was special. It was made up of glittery purple beads, along with letter beads spelling out “A-R-I-S-A”, followed by a heart.

“I made us matching bracelets! I figured it was about time you had some kandi of your own,” Kasumi said proudly. It pointed at its own wrist, which showed off a similar bracelet up highest above its collection of other kandi bracelets. Its had red beads and its name followed by a star.

Arisa blinked, unable to process this. Kasumi was giving them a gift. Something just for them. Something for them to match. And _theirs specially_ had a _heart_ next to _their name._

Maybe she was reading into this too way much, but it felt like something very… special. Special in a way that made Arisa want to take off running.

But they couldn't. They were frozen in place, dumbstruck as they stared at Kasumi’s hand and wrist.

“Oh! We should do this the traditional way! The actual, like, kandi-trading way!” Kasumi slipped her friend’s gift onto her own wrist, and then held her hand out, with her palm facing the other girl.

Arisa didn't understand. Did it want a high-five? Why did it put her bracelet on its own wrist?

“Oh, silly me,” Kasumi giggled suddenly. “You don't know these things. Uh, so, kandi is usually traded with a special handshake!”

 _A handshake? Really?_ Was all this even necessary? Arisa had somewhere to be, they couldn't just stand around doing silly handshakes with this annoying girl.

“It's call P.L.U.R.: Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect!” (Why did Arisa’s heart stutter when kira said ‘Love’?) “And it goes like this…” Using dokis own hands, Kasumi demonstrated the P.L.U.R. handshake.

Arisa had never seen or heard of anything stupider. But here Kasumi was, holding her hand out with her eyes shining, waiting for Arisa to follow her directions.

 _Better to get it over with than to keep fighting it off all the way until I get to the classroom,_ she figured, so with a shaky sigh, she gave in.

They both held up two fingers in a peace sign, and touched the tips of their fingers together. Arisa groaned.

Then, they curled their hands into “C” shapes and put them together into a heart. Arisa looked away.

Then, they placed their hands flat against each other. Arisa bit her lip.

Then, they laced their fingers together.

Arisa felt her heart do a little flip.

Kasumi pulled Arisa’s bracelet over both of their hands until it was on the other girl's wrist instead. “There you go! Congrats on your first kandi trade!”

Arisa was fixated on the sparkly accessory now on their own wrist. They couldn't stop staring at that stupid little heart, wondering what it could mean. And wondering why it made their own heart feel funny knowing that _Kasumi_ had put it there. With _them_ in mind.

Wait. She looked back up at Kasumi, whose smile couldn't look any cheesier.

Their hands were still clasped.

_Oh. Fuck._

Arisa immediately let go and jumped away, letting out an embarrassing squeak. Time to run away.

They muttered a curt “Thanks” as they scuttled past the other girl, hoping and praying that star hadn't noticed how red their face had been.

On her way to the meeting that she was certainly going to be late to now, she couldn't help but glance down at the bracelet again. She’d never say this to Kasumi, but she really did think it was pretty. And the thought that Kasumi would be walking around somewhere else in the school wearing a matching one made her heart thump faster than all the running could.

And they couldn't help but notice how cold their hand felt now that it wasn't holding Kasumi's anymore.

2.

Arisa was grateful to have woken up before everyone. Her bandmates had tired her out so much last night, so she was glad to be able to wake up to a quiet morning. Now she could have some alone time before they each woke up and annoyed her with their antics.

They stepped around each futon as carefully as possible so they wouldn't disturb anyone. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice any movement; they were all dead asleep. Kasumi was even still snoring. That just made Arisa want to leave faster, though.

Although… once she reached the door, she stole a glance back at her friends. She never got the chance to really look at them while they were awake. She always averted her eyes so no one would be weirded out by her or think she wanted something from them or that she _felt_ anything for them…

Right now, they all looked so… _peaceful._ Something about seeing them all bundled up with their pillows and blankets, in their pajamas, with soft smiles and messy hair, the morning sunshine gently creeping over their sleeping forms, made Arisa feel something they didn't normally let themself feel around them. _Fondness._

The comforting domesticity of being able to wake up with her best friends all around her... it made Arisa’s heart ache.

Their eyes landed on Kasumi and seemed to be stuck there for some reason. Despite her obnoxious snoring and her awkward, splayed-out starfish position, she really did seem to be quite peaceful. Her face wasn't all smushed up like it got whenever she made one of those big smiles. Somehow… she didn't need to be smiling for Arisa to know that she was very happy.

It did make Arisa smile a little bit herself, though.

Realizing just how much staring they’d been doing, Arisa forced their eyes away and tamped down the smile on their face. They turned back to the door and opened it to leave.

One of the band's songs was stuck in her head as she made her way to the kitchen. She hummed it to herself as she looked for something quick and easy to make. She was too sleepy to spend too much time making food, and didn't want to have to make some for everyone else if they woke up and get jealous.

They decided to just pop some toast into the toaster. While they waited, their voice quietly began to fill the room.

“ _I met you in the middle of a dream_

_From that point on, this feeling has kept expanding,_

_As if my heart is gonna burst_ ”

They closed their eyes and remembered the day they had first read those cheesy-ass lyrics Kasumi had written. And the way they had made their own heart feel.

She remembered the first time they had performed this song live. The way Kasumi’s eyes had sparkled while stealing a glance toward Arisa during stars singing.

“ _I've been hoping that someday_

_I could play this yet unknown song for the entire world_

_And after all my wishing? You listened to me”_

It had probably been unintentional, that glance. It had probably been nothing. Doki couldn't have meant to look directly into Arisa's eyes while singing about dreams and love and all the shit that made Arisa feel like melting into a puddle of emotions she couldn't understand.

Why was Arisa even reminiscing about something like that? It was such a small thing to remember. It didn't mean anything. Why were they overanalyzing it so much? And why was it causing a weird fluttering feeling in their chest? God, they really _were_ being mushy this morning. It was a good thing the others weren't up to witness such an emotionally vulnerable Arisa.

“ _I'll take every moment I've felt unstoppable,_

_And pack them tight— gather them up— believing_

_C'mon time, get moving! It's the Final Countdown_

_Only five seconds left… Ready, go--_ ”

_Pop!_

“ _Things like sparkles, dreams, hope, and beating hearts--”_

The sudden sound of both the toaster popping and Kasumi joining in the song practically gave Arisa a heart attack. They literally jumped, yelped out loud, and clutched their chest. Kasumi laughed behind them. _Fuck._

Arisa whipped around to face her. Her heart could _not_ be going any faster. “Why the _hell_ would you do that?!” she screeched.

The other girl smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry, I just had to. You were leading right up to the part. It was perfect.”

Arisa frowned, still trying to calm herself down. “...H-How much did you hear?”

“Um, well… from the start.” When Kasumi noticed Arisa starting to freak out again, kira continued quickly, “Ah, b-but I swear I wasn't trying to eavesdrop! I-I woke up and soon I heard singing, and I didn't wanna bother you!”

“But you still did!”

“Because it was funny!”

“F--Screw you!” Arisa corrected herself, remembering that her Grandma was in this house too. She turned away and took her toast out of the toaster, though now her own body felt warmer than the toasted food. She quickly spread something on it without thinking much about it, too distracted by her own racing heart. She went to sit down, but she couldn't help but still feel anxious as she took that first bite.

“If it makes you feel any better, Arisa, I think you have a very lovely voice.”

Arisa immediately choked on her food.

“WAH! Are you okay?!” Kasumi shot over to their side.

Arisa’s face _burned_ with embarrassment as she coughed violently. _Great, now I'm going to wake up the others and they're all going to see me like this._

“I'm--*cough*--I’m fine, Kasu--*cough cough*. Don't f-freaking look at--*cough*--me!” They tried to push Kasumi away.

“Sorry, sorry!” Star spun around so star couldn't witness any more of this disaster.

As soon as Arisa was able to get themself under control, Kasumi went right back to complimenting them. “You know, I've never really heard you sing so.. softly, before. I wish I could record some of that for, like, the intro of a song or something. That'd be so pretty…”

Arisa looked over to glare at kira, but saw that there was no hint of smugness on dokis face. In fact, doki was staring at the ceiling with this dreamy, distant look in dokis eyes, like the one doki got whenever doki talked about dokis “sparkling” and “heart-pounding” nonsense. Doki wasn't saying this to tease her… Doki was being genuine.

And Arisa couldn't really tell by the lighting, but they almost thought she even saw a blush on her face.

Arisa couldn't believe this. Hearing this, seeing this, was all too much. “Sh-shut up…” she whimpered, burying her face in her hands.

Kasumi let out a very soft chuckle. It almost seemed to carry that same fondness Arisa had felt when looking at star earlier.

It wasn't long before the rest of the friend group came wandering out of Arisa’s room. Thankfully, Kasumi kept quiet about the whole situation, but Arisa’s mind sure wouldn't.

_I think you have a very lovely voice._

3.

“AAAAA, that was so fun!” Kasumi squealed, bouncing and spinning in circles like a kid on a sugar high. Her glittery red skirt swished and sparkled as she moved.

“Quiet down!” Arisa hissed, swatting a hand in its direction as they walked along with their three other bandmates. “The show's over now, there's no need to be loud anymore.”

“Let star have stars moment,” Tae chuckled, gently grabbing Arisa’s arm. “Star needs to get the rest of stars energy out somehow.”

“Wasn't that one part in ‘Keep On Moving!’ so cool? When we were building up in the chorus--did the rest of you _feel_ that? As we were getting to it, it was like _whoooosh_ , and then, _bam!_ Like an explosion.. of emotion… and everything was all _sparkle sparkle sparkle_ …!” Kasumi used dramatic sound effects and hand motions to lay out the scene. And also to stim, of course.

“Ah, I'm getting goosebumps all over again! Look!” Doki trotted back over to join the rest of the group and held out dokis arm in front of Saaya. Sure enough, dokis hair was standing on end and tiny bumps had broken out across dokis skin.

Saaya giggled. “Yep, that part gave me goosebumps too. Your vocals were very good then, you know.”

Kasumi blushed a little. “Ah, stop it! It was all thanks to your drumming, getting me all hyped up!” It gave the other girl a friendly clap on the shoulder. “It went like _dadadadadada,_ just like how my heart was going!”

Now it was Saaya’s turn to blush, playfully bumping Kasumi’s side. “Well, it was _your_ vocals that got _me_ all hyped up! Helped me put my own heart into my drumming.”

 _Gross,_ Arisa thought as she watched the two’s playful banter. She turned her head away, feeling something inside her burn.

Apparently, Rimi noticed their disgust. “W-what’s wrong, Arisa-chan? Didn't you have fun?”

Arisa looked down at the concerned girl's frown. She always felt bad whenever Rimi was upset by or worried about Arisa's behavior. The girl had a good heart, but she tended to misunderstand Arisa's complicated feelings.

“It's okay, Rimi, Arisa’s just getting jealous,” Tae said, bumping Arisa’s side teasingly.

“What?!” Arisa cried out, just a little too loudly. “I am not--what do you even--no!”

Tae laughed breezily. “It's funny to see you get so easily worked up.”

“ _Funny?!_ ” Arisa barked. “You think it's entertaining to get me mad? You're always purposefully misinterpreting me, and I'm just trying to fucking _explain_ myse--”

“What's the matter, Arisa? I thought we were having fun.” Oh. Apparently Kasumi had stopped talking to Saaya and was now focused on Arisa’s frustrated rambling. And she seemed just as concerned as Rimi.

 _Great. Now I'm ruining_ its _fun too._ “Just--whatever, it's fine, okay? S-Stop worrying about me. Maybe I’d actually have some fun if you all didn't keep pestering me.”

Kasumi frowned for a moment longer, but quickly shook it off. “Okay, anyways, I think we should all go celebrate! Like, go get dessert or something! So, what do you guys think? Cake? Ice cream?”

Rimi’s head drooped apologetically. “Um, I'm sorry, Kasumi, but I actually can't stay too long tonight. I told my family they could take me home a little bit after the show, since we didn't have any plans like this made beforehand. I'm sorry!”

Once again, there was a flash of sadness on Kasumi’s face that quickly disappeared. “That's alright, Rimi-rin. Next time, I'll try to make plan something earlier so you can come.”

“Besides, you look pretty tired out anyways,” Saaya commented, pointing out Rimi’s sleepy eyes and slumped posture.

“Yeah,” it sighed, rubbing one of its eyes. “Big shows like this honestly make me excited to get home and cuddle up in bed. I'm gonna get a good sleep tonight.”

“Well, good night then, Rimi-rin,” Saaya said to co along with the others, before turning back to Kasumi. “And I'm afraid I have to get home soon as well. I actually have something I need to get up early for tomorrow, so I'm going to head home and into bed too.”

“Aww, you too, Saaya?” Kasumi pouted, grabbing her hand.

Saaya smiled, and Arisa saw her squeeze the hand in hers. “Yes, I'm sorry, Kasumi. Maybe next time, though.”

Arisa grit their teeth while the two hugged. As they watched them, they could feel Tae watching them.

Just before Kasumi turned around to face the two remaining Poppin’ Party members, Arisa caught a glance of Tae smirking at her. She shot a glare back at them, and then the two turned their attention back to their other friend.

Kasumi slumped. “I just wanted us all to have a fun little celebration… Think three would still work?”

Tae looked back and forth between the other two mischievously. “Y’know what, I actually think it'd be better if I left you two to go out alone,” bun began, and immediately Arisa felt the urge to strangle bun. “I'd feel like such a third wheel if I went along. Besides--” bun yawned and stretched in the fakest damn way possible, “I'm pretty tired myself. I know Arisa isn't, though, judging by how riled up she got just a bit ago.”

 _I am going to kill her,_ Arisa seethed.

Of course, she could always just leave too. Call the whole thing off, let the vocalist get some rest herself.

But with Kasumi looking at them with puppy-dog eyes, like they were its last hope, desperate for someone to have a little late-night fun with to celebrate something they had achieved together... it was too hard to say no.

Arisa reluctantly let Kasumi take her to a little nearby diner, which apparently had really good shakes that Kasumi had wanted to try for a long time. Luckily, there weren't many people there, so Arisa could maybe get a little bit of peace and quiet in here after all the constant noise.

Well, as much peace and quiet as they could get while hanging around Kasumi.

It took forever for Kasumi to order. Doki was overwhelmed by all the options and couldn't decide. After a certain point, Arisa grew too impatient and just chose something for doki: a fairly simple chocolate shake.

Arisa got themself a berry shake, which did actually live up to the expectations they had built up. It was sweet and tangy, with bits of fruit in it that made it a bit like drinking bubble tea.

As she tried to hide her enjoyment and savor the drink by taking quick sips, the girl sitting across from her had no problem with simply chugging the thing. It didn't even bother with a straw, its lips coming away from the glass white with whipped cream.

Arisa watched with a wrinkled nose as Kasumi sloppily licked the excess cream off. “Can't you just use a straw like a normal person?”

“But the whipped cream mustaches make it even more fun to drink!” Kasumi explained.

Arisa sighed, dropping their cheek into a hand and shaking their head. “You're so embarrassing.” They twirled their straw around in their glass as they stared out the window.

There was something so surreal about going out late at night. Seeing the city bathed in moonlight, the streets empty, gave Arisa such a unique feeling. It made her familiar hometown feel so different, like they were in some sort of alternate reality.

 _Ugh, Kasumi must be rubbing off on me._ They hated how their mind always got all spacey whenever they hung out with it for too long. _Next thing I know, I'm going to end up thinking about how “sparkling” and “heart-pounding” this fucking drink is._

“Hey, can I try some of yours?”

It took a few moments for Arisa to realize they were being asked a question. Kasumi tried waggling kiras hands to get their attention, but Arisa was too focused on whatever was outside. It took Kasumi loudly tapping on the table for them to come back.

“Can you stop that? It's--”

“Can I try your drink?” Kasumi interrupted, eyeing and pointing at it with intent.

“Wha..? Sure, I guess.” Arisa pushed the glass over to its side of the table.

But instead of lifting the glass and sipping from the lip like star did with stars own drink, the madwoman immediately grabbed _Arisa's straw_ and _used it._

“Augh--! Kasumi!” Arisa cried out in shock and disgust.

The outburst in the once-quiet restaurant caused the few people still left in the building to turn their eyes towards the two girls. Arisa flushed at the sudden negative attention. “S-sorry,” they laughed, humiliated.

Kasumi's face lit up. “Oooh, that's _good!_ I think I like yours better, to be honest. I want some more--”

Arisa yanked the glass away, nearly spilling the drink. “Not if you're gonna drink from the goddamn straw again!” they hissed in a lower voice.

Kasumi blinked back at her obliviously. “What do you mean? You were mad at me for not using one before. Besides, yours doesn't have any fun whipped cream!”

Arisa dragged a hand over their face, trying not to further make a scene. “But that's _my_ straw! D-Do you know how gross that is? My damn mouth was on that!” They suddenly felt their face heat up even more when they realized what that meant. _Oh god… Kira put kiras mouth where my.. where_ exclusively my mouth _has been. That's like.. an indirect--_

Nope. She completely shut down that thought. She couldn't believe herself, getting herself all flustered over something that should be just plain grossing her out. “Just--Get your own, dumbass!”

After calling over and receiving a weird look from one of the waitresses, Kasumi got her own straw and was very much ready to finish off Arisa’s drink. It was then that Arisa realized they should have just said they didn't want to share.

Because Kasumi had no problem drinking from it at the same time as her.

When the two found their faces to be just inches away from each other, Arisa _launched_ themself in the other direction. _What the_ fuck. _Why does star think it's okay to do shit like this? Does star think it's funny or something?_

“Why're you so on edge tonight, Arisa?” Kasumi asked cluelessly. Kira took a long sip from kiras straw, still staring at her with those big eyes. Like kira was taunting her.

Still reeling from their moment of closeness, Arisa heaved themself out of the booth and speed-walked over to the restroom. They covered their beet-red face with a hand the whole time.

As she closed the door behind her, she let out an exasperated sigh. How long had she been holding her breath? God, she felt like she had been on edge all night.

Was Kasumi doing this shit on purpose? They could never tell. It always seemed to know how to press _all_ of Arisa’s buttons, leaving them like a confused elevator.

She covered her face with her hands and suppressed a scream. She knew the rest of the quiet building would be able to hear her if she let out her frustration now. Now, she was desperately wishing she had just gone home like the others. Why hadn't she just turned Kasumi down? Why did she feel so obligated to be the one to hang out with star tonight?

 _Fucking Tae,_ they sneered on the inside. Arisa loved the girl, but this was taking things too far. They had been trying to get used to their teasing, but it was a different story when it came to them practically setting them and Kasumi up on a…

Arisa jolted out of her own thoughts as someone knocked on the door. “Arisa? Are you okay?”

And now Kasumi was worrying about them again. They were ruining her fun night again. Everything was a disaster. They had to leave. But they couldn't get out, because that would mean facing Kasumi, and they just couldn't bring themself to do that.

Out of spite, she decided she would just stay in there silently and refuse to come out. Sure, she would eventually have to talk with Kasumi about it, but she'd just make up some excuse about her being sick or something. She certainly did feel sick, in some kind of way.

“...Arisa, did I… Are you feeling uncomfy because it's just the two of us? I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have forced you to do something you didn't want to do.”

Arisa felt a twist in her gut.

“I just… wanted to have a fun night, you know? Our show tonight really gave me that sparkly, heart-poundy feeling, and I was excited to share it with the rest of the band… And, to be honest, I was most excited to share it with you.”

Arisa’s heartrate somehow picked up even more.

“But I understand if you need space. I know you said you're an inter-something…” ( _Introvert, dumbass,)_ “and that you get tired after being around people for a long time. I should have considered that instead of being selfish. So, I'm sorry.”

God, as frustrated as she was with Kasumi right now, Arisa couldn't help but appreciate stars sincerity. Kasumi really cared a whole lot, and all Arisa ever did for star was be an asshole. So really, _she_ was the selfish one here.

Spite draining away, Arisa decided to take a deep breath and open the door. Kasumi stood there, the smile kira had been wearing all night all gone. It was like opening the front door during a storm and finding a drenched kitten seeking shelter.

 _Damn it,_ Arisa thought guiltily, unsure what to do.

Kasumi’s eyes dropped down to her feet. “It’s… It’s okay to tell me if you need space. I know I'm bad with that. I get all excited about doing things, and sometimes I don't realize when I'm making people uncomfy.”

Arisa bit her lip. Normally she didn't have a problem spelling things out to Kasumi when it came to her discomfort, but tonight, she had chosen to swallow that down in order to keep Kasumi happy. But this time, Kasumi found out itself.

Was… Was Arisa’s constant resistance making Kasumi insecure or something? It hurt Arisa to think that, but it could definitely be possible. The girl clearly thought of them as stars friend… maybe their prickliness actually hurt Kasumi more than star showed.

Arisa just felt too bad, and too tired, to keep her walls up. Something about the unusual atmosphere of the empty diner late at night made it easier for her to be open, just for a second.

“I'm sorry for being so closed off,” they whispered, as if their voice might echo through the building. “I know I should have said something earlier, but… I just, y’know…” Shit. This was harder than they thought. “...didn't want to ruin the fun.”

Kasumi blinked at her, a small smile growing back. She looked… surprised? Proud? ...Sad?

“We can always call it a night, if you want,” it rasped in a tiny voice. Her eyes shimmered. Clearly it was trying its best not to cry. Probably to keep Arisa from feeling bad. The two of them really were just taking turns sparing the other's feelings, huh?

Do _I want to leave?_ Arisa actually had to think it over for a moment. It was true that being with star made her feel uncomfortable, but it almost felt like… a _good_ sort of uncomfortable. Everything was really weird, and her stomach was twisting up, and she felt like she was perpetually on the urge of having an anxiety attack, but the feeling was almost addicting. The thought of staying any longer made her heart swell and her head get all woozy, and she knew that any more of _Kasumi_ would be too much to take, but she decided to stay.

But this time, it wasn't just to make Kasumi happy. It was because deep down, some twisted, fucked-up part of them actually _wanted_ to be with kira.

4.

Arisa huffed as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. “You really didn't have to wait for me, you know.”

Kasumi perked up when she noticed her friend walking over to leave. “I just wanna take this last chance to hang out with you before I'm outta town!” She already had her backpack on, as if she had been ready to see Arisa the whole time they were in their student council meeting.

The vocalist was going to be going on vacation starting the next day, and would be gone for about a week. Arisa was honestly glad to be getting a break from its constant… Kasumi-ness.

“What's the point, though? I'm just going home right now. You know we're not allowed to stick around at the school this late,” Arisa reminded star. “N-Not that I even wanted to stay.”

Kasumi leapt to kiras feet. “Simple! I'll walk home with you!”

 _Of course,_ the keyboardist thought. They weren't surprised at this point, and didn't try to fight doki off. After knowing doki for so long, Arisa had slowly eased up a bit. They knew there was hardly a point. Besides, they were just too tired after being at school for so long.

Kasumi walked alongside her with a bounce in her step, humming some song Arisa didn't recognize or care to figure out. The almost-silence between them as they walked together was kind of comforting, if Arisa was being honest.

Arisa thought back to their past self, and wondered how much differently this would have gone if it had happened back then. They'd have probably loudly told Kasumi to go away, maybe even running away from it. But now, things were calmer and they had grown more and more acquiescent. The gentle rhythm of their steps and breathing in the quieter-than-usual city seemed to almost lull them.

“Wanna hold hands?”

“Huh?!” Snapping out of their trance, old Arisa was back. The sudden request caused them to turn bright red in the face. The hopeful twinkle in Kasumi’s eyes, the tempting offer of an outstretched, soft-looking hand… It scared Arisa so much, they considered booking it into the street.

The vocalist must have noticed her discomfort, because doki lowered dokis hand and looked away. Was that a blush on dokis face too…? “That's okay. You don't have to if you don't want to,” doki said with a poorly-concealed hint of disappointment in dokis voice.

Arisa bit their lip as they were reminded of that time at the diner. How many times were they going to keep disappointing Kasumi? And how many times before they finally just did her a favor and made it clear they didn't want any of this?

...Why did Arisa feel like that didn't sound right?

“Fine,” they eventually decided, holding out their own hand. _But only to make up for making you sad before._

Kasumi let out a delighted noise and grabbed her hand. Kira swung them back and forth a couple times before Arisa told kira that that was enough.

Arisa was shocked at the sensation of their friend's hand in theirs. They had held hands before, technically, but back then, Kasumi had been squeezing the life out of it and it had been much less casual than this. This was simply two friends, walking together, gently holding hands in silence. It might have been calming, if it wasn't for Arisa’s racing heart.

She tried her best to focus on other things. A flock of birds in the sky, a garden of flowers in front of one of the houses, a piece of trash drifting across the road, _anything_ to keep her mind off of the warmth against her skin.

A car rolled by (far too slowly, so much so that Arisa thought they probably noticed the two holding hands and promptly looked away), and Kasumi decided to speak up again. “I really hope I can get a car in my favorite color someday.” It seemed like a completely random thing to say, as if it was simply walking with its friend and nothing had happened.

 _How can star act so casually?_ Arisa wondered in bewilderment. She didn't want to make things weird, though, so she tried to match her friend's tone as she spoke. Even though she felt as though she was burning alive. “That shouldn't be too difficult to get your hands on.” _Hands… Fuck…_ “Red cars aren't that uncommon.”

Kasumi made a confused noise and looked at Arisa, causing the blonde to become even more flustered. ( _Did I say something wrong? Was it the hands thing?_ ) “Did I really never tell you?"

“T-Tell me what?” _What the hell is doki talking about._ Arisa didn't know why she was suddenly feeling so petrified.

“Red isn't my favorite color, silly!”

“Huh?!” For some reason, Arisa almost felt... betrayed? How had she not known Kasumi Toyama’s favorite color all this time? “What do you mean? Your color in the band is red, though!”

“Well, I mean, I just kinda went with it to match Random Star,” Kasumi explained sheepishly. “And besides, purple looks way better on you.”

Was she _blushing?_

 _Wait…_ “Purple’s your favorite color? And you…” _And doki said it looks good on you,_ their mind supplied. Now both girls were blushing.

“D-Don't say things like that, dumbass! We're in public,” Arisa whimpered.

The mischievous glint in Kasumi’s eye terrified Arisa. “How about when we get back to your house? Can I say whatever I want then?”

Arisa let out an actual _shriek_ , releasing stars hand and bolting on ahead, just to get away from her own feelings. She couldn't believe she had let herself get caught in that kind of situation. She didn't want to _think_ of what Kasumi was thinking of.

Behind them, they heard Kasumi laugh kiras bubbly laugh, which only caused them to pick up the pace. _I can't do this. I can't do this._

After Arisa had calmed down a bit from that shitshow, she eventually gave in and slowed her pace back down to walk with her friend again. She would've felt bad if the last interaction Kasumi got to have with her before leaving was her screaming and running away from doki.

“...I'm gonna miss you, y’know,” Kasumi murmured, in a low enough voice so that only Arisa could hear. She still had a hint of that teasing tone left in her voice, but she did seem genuine.

As always, Arisa felt a weird fluttering sensation at the sentiment and tried to brush it off. “You'll live.”

“No, I won't!” star whimpered in mock despair. “I think I might end up dying without my daily dose of Arisa!”

The keyboardist faced away and scoffed lightly. “You're so dramatic.”

“Says the one who just screamed and ran away from me wanting to compliment you a few minutes ago.” Kasumi poked their shoulder.

Arisa rubbed at the spot, unable to argue back. The tiny bit of contact only served as a reminder that they weren't holding hands anymore… The open breeze on her own hand felt chilling and lonely. She contemplatively watched her friend's arm swing back and forth as she walked. Her fingers, which she still felt the ghost of on her own hand. The red bracelet on her wrist, which matched the one on hers.

As they approached the house, Arisa almost expected Kasumi to walk in with them before they realized that this was the one time it wouldn't be able to come inside. They had become so used to having it over at their house that they felt like they should be walking in together right now, instead of stopping in front of their porch.

She turned around. “Well, we're here,” she stated simply.

Kasumi just looked into their eyes for a long while, emotion welling up in kiras own. “...I'm gonna miss you.”

Arisa averted her own gaze, already uncomfortable as it was. “You've already said that.”

“Well, I haven't said it enough.” Her voice shook a little as she spoke. “I know I'm gonna have fun and all, it's gonna be great, but it's gonna be so.. weird without you.”

Arisa fiddled with her hands. “It's only a week. I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll… I'll be here for you when you get back.” _Waiting for you,_ she almost said, before revising that thought.

Kasumi looked like star desperately wanted to say something, stars eyes intense and stars hands clenched tight. But instead, star let starself droop, letting out a sigh as star relaxed. “Well… Can I give you a goodbye hug, then?” star asked softly.

Arisa took a deep breath. Her own body felt extremely tense, but she held out her arms. Allowed herself to be vulnerable for just a moment.

Kasumi collapsed into them, closing in around them with dokis big, warm arms. Arisa didn't squirm this time, but they felt their face heat up along with their enveloped torso. Now that they were really allowing themself to feel Kasumi’s body against theirs... they were afraid that they wouldn't want doki to ever let go.

Feeling awkward just standing there with her arms by her sides, she finally decided to gently place her hands on Kasumi’s back to pat there. This only caused her to squeeze tighter, though, and Arisa’s pats became more desperate as she was practically being crushed alive.

Kasumi eventually let go, leaving Arisa out of breath. It stepped back, looking at them once before its eyes fell to the ground. “...See you soon, then,” it whispered, sounding a bit hesitant.

“Yeah,” Arisa panted. “Lo--” She snapped her jaw shut as quickly as the word started coming out. “See you.”

Their friend stared at them again, definitely able to see the blush on their face, before giving an awkward little nod and turning around to leave.

Arisa stood frozen in place. She couldn't believe she'd almost slipped up like that. What if she'd actually finished saying it? How would Kasumi have reacted? “ _Aww, I love you too, Arisa!_ ” The sound of Kasumi’s voice in her mind saying that made her feel like puking.

It was then that they realized their eyes had been fixed on Kasumi walking away that whole time. They shook their head, disgusted by the warm and fuzzy feeling plaguing them. They were just about to turn around when they saw Kasumi glance back at them.

Sputtering, she covered her face and whipped around to her door, fumbling with the handle. “H-Have fun on your trip!” she called out, her voice way too high to be considered normal.

Once they were inside the house, they let out a long, weary sigh. Finally, Kasumi was gone.

Kasumi was gone…

They felt a strange emptiness at that realization. _A whole week… with no Kasumi?_ The idea seemed almost impossible. A whole week without dokis stupid outbursts, dokis stupid “sparkling, heart-pounding” nonsense, dokis stupid voice, dokis stupid laugh, dokis stupid smile… Arisa felt stupid themself for only just now realizing how much of their attention and thoughts were dedicated to Kasumi.

“I'm gonna miss her,” she muttered to herself without thinking.

 _Wait. I'm… going to miss Kasumi,_ they thought, realizing what they had just said. They slapped their hands over their warm face. Thinking about it only made the empty pit in their stomach grow wider.

She'd just spent her last few moments she'd share with Kasumi in a week like _that?_ It all had seemed to go by so fast… and now star was leaving. Arisa hadn't even given herself the chance to take it in, to realize just how much she was going to miss star herself.

_I'm so stupid..._

5.

Ever since she started celebrating birthdays with Poppin’Party, Arisa had come to the realization that birthdays are just excuses for people to embarrass you wrapped up in a pretty package.

Sure, it was nice receiving gifts and feeling special for a day, but that meant _attention._ From their _peers._ It wasn't just a quiet day with them and their Grandma where they would open a single gift and then have a nice dinner. Their friends made a _huge_ deal out of it.

She made sure to tell them in advance not to throw her a party, They already had enough of them (it was in their damn band name), and having one entirely dedicated to her would make her feel even more anxious than normal parties did.

And Arisa continuously reminded them each day leading up to their birthday, because they _knew_ they would try something anyways. Especially Kasumi. They weren't going to let her give them a heart attack with one of her surprises this time.

So, just in case, she decided not to leave the house this time. She wasn't going to let them set anything up while she was away. Instead, she just invited them over to hang out like any other day.

Granted, they did show up to their door with a bunch of presents, but that was to be expected. They quickly stashed them away to open later, keeping them away from sight in order to maintain the casual environment.

“SURPRISE!” Kasumi exclaimed when the birthday girl opened the door for kira, waving kiras hands for effect.

“There is no surprise. I literally invited you here, dummy.” Arisa would have laughed if they weren't so used to Kasumi’s antics by now.

Once everyone was inside and gathered around the room, it became clear that there was still a much different vibe in here than on any other day. The girls all looked at Arisa expectantly, with more light in their eyes than usual. It was honestly kind of unnerving.

“Aren't you going to open your gifts, Arisa-chan?” Rimi asked, sitting in one of the chairs in a much more alert position than usual.

Arisa groaned. “Do I really have to open them in front of you guys…?” She could feel her face starting to blush already.

“Of course!” Tae pressed. “I gotta see the look on your face when you open mine.”

Arisa grimaced. “That just makes me even more worried about it.”

“Yeah, uh,” Kasumi interrupted, “Maybe we should, maybe, like, not force them.. to open them now… in front of all of us…? I just think we should--They shouldn't have to do something they don't want to, right?”

Arisa was suspicious of its strange tone at first, but then realized why it was saying this. _That night at the diner…_ She felt a pang of guilt as she remembered the way she had made Kasumi feel back then.

“No, you know what, it's fine. I do want to do this,” they decided. They retrieved the presents and sat down with them on the floor. It felt like having your friends watch a home video of you on Christmas morning as a kid. They felt like an idiot, but at least it would make their friends happy.

To get it out of the way, she decided to open Tae’s first. Anything to get bun to stop staring at her so intently like that. At first, it just seemed to be a bunch of candy, which didn't seem very shocking, but then she found something hidden at the bottom of the bag: a pair of rings, each with a little star on them. _Why two of them?_

With the rings came a slip of paper. When Arisa opened it, it read, in Tae’s handwriting, “for when you finally tell doki”, followed by a winky face.

Realizing what she was implying, Arisa crushed the note in her fist and looked up to glare at Tae, who burst into laughter.

“What? What does it say?!” Kasumi cried, looking frantically between the two of them. “O-Tae, why’d you make them mad on their birthday?”

“She’s just a little embarrassed, she'll be fine,” Saaya reassured star, patting stars shoulder. “You know how those two do this with each other. It's just how they express their love.”

“...Oh,” Kasumi responded simply. The way kira looked at Arisa in that moment, however, was much more complicated.

Rimi’s gift was a stuffed kitten, and Saaya’s was a pretty skirt. Arisa was thankful that their gifts were less… extravagant this time. She didn't need any more of that guilt she felt whenever someone got her something big that she didn't deserve.

When they got to Kasumi’s, though, they noticed that the gifter was becoming uncharacteristically nervous. Her leg bounced like crazy, and she was looking all around, at the present, at Arisa, and at each of the other girls.

Arisa reached her hand to grab it, but Kasumi butt in just before she could. “Um, actually--!” Its voice rose to a squeak.

The birthday girl looked up at star questioningly. “What is it, Kasumi?”

“Um, I…” Kira scratched kiras cheek sheepishly. “Could you actually save mine to look at later? It’s, uh, embarrassing.”

Tae turned to Arisa with the smuggest look on their face.

 _Oh. That's why she's been acting weird and wanting me to wait to open these._ Still, Arisa had no idea why Kasumi would be embarrassed about her gift. What the hell could it be? Kasumi was pretty open with her affection, so whatever it was that was in there waiting for her… it had to be something big.

Something Arisa would be worrying about all night. _Damn it!_

As much as she tried to keep their hangout casual, she still felt like she was under a spotlight. She had to take some breaks just to get away from everyone and breathe.

They couldn't escape to the bathroom when their Grandma walked out with a cake, though. They groaned and buried their face in their hands, dreading what was obviously coming.

Everyone in the room broke out in song, Kasumi being the loudest. “ _HAAAPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU~_ ”

“Grandmaaa, why did you--”

“ _HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU~_ ”

“I hate this…”

“ _HAPPY BIRTH--_ ” (Kasumi, despite being a fucking vocalist, was the most noticeably shrill on that note) “ _DAY DEAR ARISAAAA~_ ” (Kasumi held out that note longer than necessary) “ _HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!_ ”

As everyone cheered, the birthday girl burned all over. They had sunken into themself, wishing to hide the whole time, and didn't want to come back out to face everyone.

“Come on, Arisa! You gotta blow out your candles!” Saaya encouraged.

“Yeah, make a wish, bud,” Tae teased further.

 _Shut the fuck up,_ Arisa wished she could say to bun, but bit her tongue in order to remain seemingly polite. She lifted her head reluctantly and took a look at the cake.

It was a fancily made vanilla cake with swirls of purple icing, topped with _tons_ of colorful, glittery sprinkles (probably the band's addition). Surrounded by lit candles were the words “To our Shooting Star!” written a bit messily in purple icing. It certainly wasn't their Grandma’s handwriting…

“Quick, Arisa! The cake’s going to be covered in wax if you keep waiting this long,” Saaya laughed, pointing at the quickly melting candles.

Arisa actually had no idea what to wish for. There wasn't much they really needed. They had a great home life, good grades, friends…

Maybe the “friends” part was something that needed work. She still found herself embarrassed to refer to her bandmates as her friends, even though they talked with each other and ate lunch together and hung out at her house basically every day. And even now on her birthday, she was still having a hard time receiving their attention and affection. 

Arisa loved their friends, but they would never admit that to them or to themself. That was the problem.

Closing her eyes, she made her decision. _I wish to have more courage around my friends and to be able to be more honest about my feelings._ It was technically two wishes, but they basically fit the same general idea. She put her heart into that breath she blew, and when she opened her eyes, the fire was put out from the candles and instead glowing in the eyes of her friends.

As they cheered, Arisa allowed themself to relax.

The rest of the day went well. The birthday girl put aside her insecurity for the moment and just let herself have fun and feel the love. Her friends also adapted to her needs too, though, and settled down a bit. Just chilling out, spending some nice quality time with each other. Arisa really preferred doing this instead of some wild party.

That night, after everyone had left and Arisa’s house was back to peace and quiet, Arisa was anxious to open Kasumi’s present. They had tried not to worry too much about it while celebrating with everyone, but it had been lingering in the back of their mind the entire time. Now that they had the chance, though, they were almost too nervous to let themself open it now.

 _No, no, I gotta do this. I'm too curious._ She went to where she had hidden it away and sat on her bed with it on her lap. It was a small, thin, square-shaped box, wrapped in sparkly wrapping paper and with a bow stuck on top.

With trembling fingers, they peeled off the bow and opened the paper. Inside was a CD case, including a CD with the words “‘Shooting Star’ by Kasumi Toyama - for Arisa Ichigaya”.

 _A song… For me…?_ She needed a moment to absorb this information. _Kasumi wrote a song for me. And it's on here. For_ me. _And… And doki didn't want anyone else to hear it. Doki wanted_ me _to listen to this_ alone. She could feel her heart thumping as rapidly as if Kasumi were standing right here in front of her.

After taking out her CD player, connecting their headphones to it, and placing the CD inside, Arisa laid on their back and stared at the ceiling. Kasumi’s guitar crackled in through the poorly-recorded audio.

The moment Arisa heard the vocalist start to sing, her face heated up.

“ _All my life, I've been wandering in a dream_

_Searching for the light to take me home_

_Up in the sky, I see the moon gleam_

_But it's not enough, so I continue to roam_

_Then suddenly, you catch me eye_

_A flash of light soaring across the sky_

_Brighter than anything I've seen in my life_

_You are a shooting star_

_I feel your beat in my heart_

_I thought I'd have to look so far_

_But there's no need_

_You're all I need_

_And here you are_

_There's a song in my heart I don't understand_

_I wanna find the words so I can sing it loud_

_One day I hope we can stand hand in hand_

_And I'll sing it to you and make you proud_

_When I see you, my body feels light_

_Feels like I'm floating up into the night_

_Sky and being swallowed up by your light_

_You are a shooting star_

_Brightening up my heart_

_Nothing has been this good so far_

_This just feels right_

_You are the light_

_That will take me far_

_Sparkling..._

_Heart-pounding..._

_Make me sing..._

_My shooting..._

_You are my shooting star_

_I feel it deep in my heart_

_I've known it from the start_

_You are the one_

_My search is done_

_My shooting star_ ”

Once the recording came to an end, the only sound left was Arisa’s rapid heartbeat.

+1.

Kasumi couldn't believe that this time, Arisa had been the one to invite her to do something with her. _Especially_ when it was just the two of them, alone. That aspect of it was enough to get her heart going.

And it wasn't sure why Arisa was taking it out to an open field in the middle of the night, but it was so caught up in the rhythm in its chest to question it.

Star stared at Arisa's back as star followed her, watching the way her ponytails bobbed up and down with each step. The way her skirt flowed in the breeze. The way she seemed to glow underneath the moonlight. _She's perfect,_ star mused dreamily.

All of a sudden, Arisa turned around to face kira with a seriousness in their eyes that almost made Kasumi flinch. It was then that the situation caught up to kira.

 _Oh yeah, that's right,_ the vocalist realized, dokis heart now seizing painfully. _She knows about my feelings now. She must be about to… to let me down gently. Or, at least, I hope she'll be gentle._ Doki wasn't sure doki’d be able to hold back dokis tears.

Arisa had been… difficult to pin down throughout the years. Sometimes, it seemed obvious that they reciprocated Kasumi’s feelings, but the former would then doubt herself and believe it was just due to her dumb rose-tinted view of the world.

And sometimes it seemed like Arisa was genuinely uncomfortable around it. And Kasumi never wanted that. It just wanted Arisa to be happy.

Being neurodivergent definitely didn't help star with figuring out Arisa’s true feelings, either. Star had always had difficulty with understanding other people’s feelings and intentions, but it had never been too frustrating for star until star tried putting together the impossible puzzle that was Arisa Ichigaya.

Kira couldn't tell if she was doing the right thing, and was very afraid that maybe Arisa just hated kira, and kira was only making things worse. Kira didn't like the thought of that possibility, and preferred to remain hopeful in kiras romantic little bubble, but it was now hitting kira just how possible that possibility was.

But then, Arisa lifted their gaze away from Kasumi and up to the sky. “Huh. I know we were expecting stars, but I didn't think… Like, those are _stars._ ”

Confused, Kasumi took a second to realize that she hadn't even looked up at the night sky this entire time. She had been so fixated on her crush that she hadn't even paid any attention to the glorious wonder right above their heads.

All at once, it was hit by that fantastic feeling. The sky was perfectly clear and bedazzled by thousands of stars, all singing in unison. The entire sky seemed to hum that familiar song, deep within Kasumi’s pounding heart. It clutched at its chest as it stared up into the heavens, overcome with emotion.

“Wow…” star whispered in awe, before returning stars gaze to a visibly nervous Arisa. “Wait, you knew it was gonna be all starry tonight? ...What did you take me here for?”

The keyboardist’s face dropped into the most deadpan expression kira had probably ever seen them wear. “Kasumi. We're literally here to stargaze. That's… what you agreed to do.”

The mixture of relief and embarrassment that washed over Kasumi nearly floored doki. “Oh. I forgot,” doki giggled. Arisa was just doing something nice for doki.

Wait… Arisa was doing something nice… for her? Just for her?

In fact, she was taking it to do its _favorite thing ever_ with her. _With her. Alone. Just the two of them._

As soon as star thought about it, star preemptively clutched at stars chest again to prepare for the lurch of stars infatuated heart. Stars face flooded with heat, and star squealed with delight.

Arisa shook her head. “Idiot,” she muttered softly, sitting down on the grass.

Still recovering from dokis love-induced shock, Kasumi hadn't even realized that doki should probably sit down too. Doki really needed to anyways, since dokis head was so woozy and dokis knees were so weak.

She collapsed onto the ground, splaying her body out like she was about to make a… grass angel or something. With such a wondrous view to look at and such a lovely girl beside her, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to get back up.

They were silent for a while, Kasumi being far too absorbed in the night sky to be able to pay enough attention to a conversation. The only sounds were crickets, the two girls’ breathing, and Kasumi’s ever-pounding heartbeat.

Eventually, though, Arisa decided to speak up, as she was apparently feeling awkward. “S-So.” She did not elaborate any further.

Kasumi blinked, suddenly broken out of kiras trance. “Yeah?” Kira rolled kiras gaze away from the sky and onto kiras crush, who kira had just realized was still sitting down instead of lying down next to kira. Were they just being shy?

...Maybe Kasumi had just had too-high expectations. Of course this wasn't going to be the perfect, romantic stargazing date doki’d envisioned in the short moments after being reminded of the reason why they were here. Of course Arisa wasn't going to be willing to be that intimate.

 _Be realistic, Kasumi,_ she told herself for perhaps the millionth time. _Arisa is too realistic for those fantasies._

Arisa had her arms around her knees, squeezing herself into a tight ball. She refused to meet Kasumi’s eyes. “...Nevermind.” She began absentmindedly drawing shapes in the grass with a finger.

“Don't you wanna lie here with me?” the vocalist asked. “It must be hurting your neck to look at the sky like that.”

The keyboardist rubbed her neck and chuckled. “A-Ah, yeah, well, I just…”

Kasumi patted the space next to doki invitingly. “Come on! This way you'll get the true stargazing experience.”

Surprisingly, there wasn't much protest. Arisa simply sighed and bashfully slipped down beside her.

Kasumi watched them, blinking incredulously. How had it been that simple? Had something happened? When had Arisa started acting so… soft and… un-Arisa-like? It tried its hardest to think about this, what Arisa could possibly be thinking or feeling right then, but it was all just too complicated for its silly, star-filled brain.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Arisa suddenly hissed. The familiar hint of frustration in her voice ironically settled Kasumi’s nerves a little bit.

Kasumi looked back up at the sky, but still planned on answering their question. Kira turned kiras thoughts over and over in kiras head, like a reflective star sticker held between kiras fingers. Kira considered the situation as deeply as kira could, willing kiraself to really think about what to say before saying it. Kira didn't want to ruin the moment, but kira still wanted to convey what kira felt.

“You've come a long way,” doki breathed aloud at last.

“Huh?”

“We've come a long way,” Kasumi revised. “You used to be so…” It struggled for the right word. “Sharp and pointy. Like a little cactus.” It hoped that maybe a plant analogy would make it easier for her to understand. “And I was always curious, like, ‘Ooh, I wonder if I can touch that little cactus. I wonder what that would feel like.’”

“What are you getting at, dummy?” Although Arisa still sounded annoyed, there was a slightly amused tone to their words.

“Well, I tried it. Over and over again. And every time, I would get pricked. It would hurt for a little bit, bleed a little bit, but I could just laugh about it, put a bandaid over it, and try again. Like I could somehow make that spiky little cactus a little softer with each touch. And it took a long time, but I think it’s working. Bit by bit.”

“This may be the stupidest thing you've ever said.”

Kasumi paid no mind to the comment. “I’m realizing now that it doesn't hurt anymore. It isn't all scary and intimidating to reach out to you anymore. You're just a cute little plant friend now. A huggable cactus.”

“Shut up, dumbass,” Arisa _laughed_ , pushing its arm lightly. Proving Kasumi’s point exactly. This wasn't them scolding it, punching it out of anger or hate. This was just them being flustered by their friend's heartfelt (though kind of silly) words.

It felt good to let it out. Although star knew Arisa was already well aware of stars feelings for her, it felt good to talk about their relationship right in front of (or right next to) her. It was something they never could've done before. Star didn't expect Arisa to reciprocate, but it was just enough to be listened to. It gave star hope that their friendship wouldn't be ruined by stars unrequited romantic feelings.

Kira continued staring up at the starry sky, breathing in the night air and simply _feeling._ It was like all those nights of lying in bed at night, staring out kiras open window at the sky and fantasizing about kiras dreams… but now kira was out in the open, free, kiras feelings exposed to the world as though kira had screamed them out loud to echo through the sky. And kira was lying next to the girl of kiras dreams.

Maybe this was a dream itself. A moment as magical as this could only be something dokis imagination could have conjured. If doki became lucid enough, maybe doki’d turn over and kiss dokis friend.

 _No, don't think like that,_ she thought. _Because then this wouldn't be real._ She didn't want to see that tantalizing smile on Arisa’s face, hear those sickly sweet words, confirming that this was all fake. Her heart ached at the thought of waking up another morning alone and disappointed.

It never stopped daydreaming about what kissing Arisa would be like, though. It imagined she'd taste like berries and stardust and all the things it dreamt about. A bittersweet fantasy.

Star felt so bad for thinking about these kinds of things when the girl was literally right there with star, but their closeness to each other and the cosmos had stars head floating away to a foolish place. All this vast, endless space, yet these two stars were nearly close enough to collide. Two infinitesimal points in the universe, with an infinitesimal amount of space between them.

Until there wasn't any.

Perhaps the tiniest collision in the world, and yet it caused Kasumi’s heart to explode.

Arisa lightly, gently, just barely, touched her lips upon Kasumi’s cheek.

At first, Kasumi wasn't even sure it had been there. Its head still felt fuzzy, and the only thing grounding it to its body was its thunderous heartbeat. “W-What?” It blinked a couple times before tearing its gaze away from the sky.

Arisa had her arm over her face. “F-Fuck.”

After taking a long, shuddering breath, they slowly revealed their face. It seemed to take a great amount of effort just to face the vocalist again. Even underneath the pale moonlight, their deep blush was clear. Their pupils were blown wide and seemed to hold the stars inside their depths. Their lips still trembled long after the contact.

Kasumi exhaled. “...I must be dreaming.”

Arisa shot upwards. “This is too cheesy. I can't do this shit.” They rolled to stand up, but Kasumi caught their wrist.

“Wait, Arisa…” It wasn’t sure what else to say, especially with its crush looking back at it like that. She looked like she was trying her hardest to restrain herself, but there was an undeniable _fondness_ in her expression. Like she was about to melt at any second.

Star didn't expect them to say anything, though, so star decided to start by saying it starself. “I love you. I-I know you already know that, but I really didn't think that you’d…”

Arisa looked away. “Augh, don't say it. It's too embarrassing.”

Without thinking, Kasumi decided that teasing them would ease things up a little. “Then you plan on saying it yourself? How much bolder you've become.”

As she should have expected, this only caused Arisa to become even more flustered. “GAH! You’re the worst.” She slapped her free hand over her flushed face.

“Quite a thing to say to the girl you just kissed,” Kasumi remarked, again without thinking.

“FUCK YOU!” Arisa cried, probably without thinking either.

But Kasumi wouldn't let go, and Arisa wouldn't pull back. Kasumi knew Arisa didn't really want to leave, but kira really didn't expect them to end up collapsing into kira and wrapping their arms around kira in what was perhaps the first expression of physical affection for Kasumi they had ever initiated by themself.

Against dokis chest, the keyboardist let out a breathy laugh, full of exhaustion and exasperation and relief. The other girl felt dokis own laughter bubbling up, out of joy and amusement at dokis crush’s silliness. Doki stroked her hair, shaking dokis head and giggling as doki watched Arisa melt into doki.

“I'm so stupid,” Arisa wheezed. They seemed to be reflecting on themself, taking a look at their behavior and realizing just how silly they had been. How silly this all was. “I'm a fucking… little cactus…”

Kasumi tilted its head back and cackled. It gave Arisa’s head a little pat. “Well, you're _my_ little cactus.”

A blink of light darted in the corner of Kasumi’s eye. Star glanced up at the sky, then back down at stars crush with a loving smile. “My shooting star.”

Arisa finally pushed away. “Oh, you shut up.”

Kasumi placed dokis hands on dokis hips. “And what if I don't wanna?” Doki stuck dokis tongue out at them.

As she was getting out the last remaining bits of laughter in her system, Arisa said something Kasumi had only heard in her dreams. 

“I love you.”

Well, that was certainly enough to shut star up. In fact, both of them went dead silent. Arisa seemed to be surprised by her own words. It was most likely a slip of the tongue. No way she would ever have said those words that easily.

Arisa clapped both hands over their face. “Dammit.”

Well, it wasn't like it was news. She _had_ just given her a kiss. But still, Kasumi sat there, across from dokis crush, completely dumbfounded. Arisa Ichigaya loved doki. Could it really be true? Was this really not just dokis imagination?

“Stop looking at me like that,” Arisa’s muffled voice came from behind their hands, their fingers parted to reveal one eye.

Kasumi felt its eyes well up. It was really going to hate it if it woke up after all this. “Arisaaaa,” it whimpered, placing its hands over its heart.

Arisa slapped their hands back down onto their lap. “Oh, come on, don't start crying now…” Meanwhile, their own voice was starting to break, and the starlight reflected tears in their own eyes.

“Please tell me I'm not dreaming,” the vocalist sniffed, reaching up to rub kiras misty eyes.

“You're not dreaming, dumbass,” Arisa retorted. Their face and tone softened as they looked away. “...I know it's hard to believe, b-but I decided to actually be honest about my feelings.. for once. I'm tired of pretending. I'm tired of h-hurting you.”

These heartfelt words certainly didn't help with Kasumi’s overwhelming emotions. Now it was her turn to collapse into a hug.

The two sat there, holding each other, crying together, for an eternity. Slowly, with gentle whispers and great amounts of courage, the embrace led into a kiss.

Kasumi could've sworn this was what the stars tasted like, albeit a bit saltier. They breathed sighs of relief and little giggles in between kisses, mouths smiling against each other and hands caressing each other's skin.

Kira could feel Arisa’s heart beating with kiras own, like a rhythm to a duet only they knew how to perform. Was this the star beat kira had been searching for all along?

They continued like this for an indefinite length of time. As far as they knew, they were the only ones in the universe. All they cared about in that moment was each other. Not even the beautiful night sky could promise anything as sparkling and heart-pounding as each other’s love.

Another shooting star blazed above their heads, but neither of them noticed. After all, the brightest of stars was sitting right there in front of them.

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaa its finished!!! this one got a lotta love put into it, and im so happy w how it turned out. these girls mean so much to me. i hope i was able to portray them well!


End file.
